Smoke-preventer.



T. W. LANGAN.

SMOKE PREVEN TER APPLICATION FILED APR.22, 1913.

1, 1 04,909. I Patented July 28,1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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T. W. LANGAN.

SMOKE PRBVBNTBR.

APPLICATION FILED APB-.22, 1913.

04 909 Patented July 28,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/L' fit THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHO. WASHING TON. D. C

NITE STATES [PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS W. LANGAN, OF ASTORIA, NEW YORK.

SMOKE-PRE-VENTER.

To all whom it may concern:

-Be it known that I, THOMAS l/V. LANGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Astoria, county of Queens, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and use-. ful Smoke-Preventer, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention is a smoke preventer for use in connection with steam boilers.

The objects of the invention are, first, to collect the smoke escaping from the boiler furnace and to mix the same with air so as to discharge a light vapor from the apparatus; second, to separate the heavy particles of carbon or soot from the smoke; third, to enable some of the smoke mixed with the air to be returned to the furnace, and, finally, to provide a simple and efficient apparatus which is easily controllable.

In a preferred form, the apparatus embodies a receptacle or tank, the interior of which is divided to produce a'plurality of smoke chambers, each of said chambers containing a screen against whichis adapted to lodge the soot and heavy particles of carbon. At'the front, the receptacle'is connected with the outlet from the boiler, so that the smoke flows into any one of the chambers. At its rear, the tank is connected witha stack, so that the required draftwill be established from the furnace and bo'ileran'd either; of the smoke chambers. Connected with the smoke chambers is a separate stack of a heighth and form to suit the purpose intended, and through this stack may be discharged the smoke after the latter is mixed with air which is supplied to the smoke chambers, as a result of which'a light thin vapor, as distinguished from black heavysmoke, is discharged from the apparatus. For returning the smoke mixed with air to the furnace, I employ air inlet doors positioned at the rear of the smoke chambers and a return connection-which leads to the furnace, whereby the rear door'of either smoke chamber may be opened for air to enter said chamber, thus resulting ina supplv of air and smoke to the furnace.

Other features of theinvention, and the advantages thereof, will appear-from the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction shown therein is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J fly 28, 1914 Application filed April 22, 1913.- Serial No. 762,766.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the smoke preventive apparatus in connection with an ordinary steam boiler furnace. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Fig.1. Fig. .3 is a horizontal section taken transversely .through the apparatus in the Y i plane indicated by the irregular line 3-3 of Fig. 1.-

In Fig. l. ofthe drawings there is shown dlagrammatically an ordinary steam boiler furnace A. This furnace may be of the usual or any preferred construction, but it will be understood that the invention may be employed in connection with any kind of furnace for the purpose of preventing the escapeof smoke into the atmosphere.

D is a tank or receptacle positioned in any desired relation with respect to the boiler furnace, but as shown in Fig. 1 this receptacle is immediately at the rear of said boiler furnace. The receptacle may be constructed posed of a wire mesh fabric or other foraminous material, said screen extending from side to side of each chamber and for a suitable: part of the. depth of the chamber. It is preferredto arrange each vertical screen H within "the. smoke chamber in the manner shown in Fig. 1, the top of the screen terminating a short distance below the top of the receptacle, thus leaving a smoke passage h, whereas the bottom of the screen is at a suitable distance above the bottom of the receptacle, leaving another smoke passage h.

K designates a smoke outletjfrom the,

boiler; This smoke outlet may be connected in variousways to the tank, but as shown said-outlet opens into a fitting I, the same extending across the front of the receptacle. The fitting I communicates with the smoke chambers E F G through openings 2', each adapted to be opened and closed by dampers J JJisaid dampers being providedwith rods or othermeans, operated from the outside of the chambers, for the purpose of opening o'r closing the dampers individually. At the rear, the tank is connected with a stack L by ayflue'L' having a fitting L This fitting L communicates with the individual smoke chambers E F G through a series of openings 1. These openings are controlled by dampers M M M, said dampers being provided with rods, or suitable operating means, for opening and closing the dampers individually.

For returning some of the smoke, mixed with air, to the furnace, I employ a return. flue Q, the latter having a fitting 0 attached to the lower front of the tank D, preferably below the fitting I. This return connection is in communication with smoke chambers E F G by openings 0, adapted to be closed by dampers P P I, each provided with means for operating the same. Tank D isprovided at the rear part thereof and below the outlet fitting L with a series of air inlet doors B, said doors being positioned to close air inlets provided at the rear of chambers E F G. Each door may be of any suitable construction, but, as shown, it is hinged to the tank so as to swing into opened or closed positions.

S designates a stack of height and form suitable for the purpose intended. This stack is separate from main stack L, and it is connected to the tank D by a fitting S. Said fitting connects with the upper part of smoke chambers E F G through openings .9, each of which is controlled by a damper T, whereby separate valved outlets are provided from the series of smoke chambers to the fitting S to the separate stack S.

The operation is as follows:To fill one of the chambers with smoke, say chamber E, all the dampers are closed, except dampers J M which are opened, and the ashpit door to the furnace is opened, so that the draft will flow through the furnace, smoke connections K, chamber E, and flue L to stack L. The heavy particles of soot will be caught on screen H, and chamber E will become filled with smoke. Now, dampers J M are closed, whereas dampers J M are opened for the smoke to flow into chamber F, and thereafter said dampers J M may be closed, whereas dampers J M will be opened for the smoke to flow into chamber Gr. Now, with chambers E F filled with smoke, air is admitted through one or both doors at the rear of one or both chambers E F so that the smoke will be mixed with air. The smoke mixed with air may be discharged from any one of the smoke filled chambers E, F or G by opening the appropriate damper T and door R associated with said chamber from which the smoke'is to be discharged, the mixed air and smoke flowing out through a separate stack S in the form of a light thin vapor. But by opening the rear door R and one of the dampers to the return flue Q, and by closing the ashpit door to the furnace, the smoke mixed with air may flow from one chamber back to the furnace so as to consume some of the smoke and support combustion on the grate. It is thus apparent that with one or more chambers filled with smoke, the dampers to the furnace and the stack S may be closed to cut off the filled chambers, whereas the other chamber may by opening the proper clampers be put into communication with the stack and furnace. At this time, the smoke filled chambers (one or more) may be emptied by opening the rear air inlet door or doors so as to admit air which mixes with and dilutes the smoke; and such outflow of smoke and air may by opening one or more dampers T take place through stack S, or may take place through return flue Q by opening the suitable dampers, so that the smoke and air will be returned to the fur nace, it being noted that under such conditions the usual ashpit door is closed.

It is obvious that the size and proportion of the tank relative to the furnace may be changed and modified as deemed advisable by the skilled constructor.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a smoke preventer, the combination with a furnace, of a plurality of smoke chambers having means whereby they may befilled successively with smok from the furnace, means for admitting air to said chambers so that the air will mix with the smoke, and a stack through which the mixed air and smoke is discharged from either smoke chamber. I

2. In a smoke pret enter, the combination with a furnace, of a plurality of non-com municating smoke chambers, means for separately filling said chambers with smoke flowing from said furnace, a screen for separating within the chambers the heavy par ticles of soot contained in the smoke, a draft stack, a separate stack, and means for admitting air to the smoke chambers, whereby the air may mix with the smoke and the mixed air and smoke may be discharged through the separate stack.

3. In a smoke preventer, the combination with a furnace, of a plurality of non-communicating smoke chambers, a smoke flue having dampercontrolled communication with said' smoke chambers for separately filling them with smoke, an outlet flue connected to the stack and having dampercontrolled communication with the smoke chambers, a screen positioned within the smoke chambers and between the smoke flue and the outlet flue, and means for admitting air separately to said chambers, whereby the air flowing through said separate chambers and into the stack operates to carry out the smoke present in said chambers.

4. In a smoke preventer, the combination with a furnace, of a plurality of smoke chambers, means by which said chambers may be separately filled with smoke escaping from said furnace, an air inlet to each smoke chamber, doors for controlling the inflow of air through said air inlets to said chambers, and a return flue having dampercontrolled communication with said smoke chambers for permitting the outflow of smoke mixed with air from the separate chambers.

5. In a smoke preventer, the combination with a furnace of a plurality of smoke chambers having means by which they may be filled with smoke escaping from said furnace, a return flue for returning the smoke from the chambers individually to the fur nace, a draft stack, a separate stack adapted to connect with said smoke chambers, and means forsupplying air to the smoke chambers whereby the smoke mixed with air may flow into the separate stack or flow back to the furnace.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS W. LANGANL Witnesses:

H. I. BERNHARD, M. G. RODRIGUEZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

